Master in Communication for Development

This program gives you the skills to work with media and communication in international developmental cooperation as well as in other areas.

This is a half-time study program, combining courses on culture, communication, and development and integrating them with practical fieldwork. It explores the use of communication - both as a tool and as a way of expressing processes of social change - within the context of globalization.

The form of study is unique, comprising a combination of live seminars and web-based communication. The seminars (2 days) are compulsory and consist of lectures, discussions, and workshops. Overseas students who cannot physically attend can follow the seminars online. In between the seminars, the students carry out assignments individually and in groups.

Communication for Development starts with new students every autumn semester. In the first year, students receive a comprehensive overview of globalization and a systematic inventory of the entire field. In the second year, students follow specialized courses that end with an independent project concentrated on one of the field's sub-areas.

Future employment opportunities include work for professional media companies, international organizations (governmental and non-governmental), and PhD studies.

What is Communication for Development?

Communication for Development (ComDev) is an interdisciplinary field combining studies on culture, media, communication, and development. ComDev explores communication within contexts of articulating global and local processes of social change.

The ComDev field is part science, part craft, and part art, and its multidisciplinary academic foundations draw on aspects of development studies, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. These multiple entry points create a rich framework for challenging hegemonic notions and knowledge and engage with questions of social, cultural, economic, and political power. The theory and practices of ComDev play an important role as witnesses to global injustice and marginalization, as amplifiers of dissent, and as connectors between people, cultures, and stories.

ComDev is taught as a 50% full-time course that distributes 60 credits over four semesters. Our part-time approach is an ideal format for professionals already working in the field, to complement internships or part-time work, as well as for those on sabbaticals or parental leave.

Our pedagogical approach: the Global Classroom

ComDev has been successful in bridging the gap between traditional internet-based learning (often called ‘distance learning’) and conventional forms of education on campus. Our convergence pedagogy creates a glocal classroom — a global learning space grounded in local realities. Based in Malmö, our global classroom has traveled to partner universities, conferences, and seminars in more than twenty countries. Seminars with local alumni, development organizations and our academic network usually take place once a year.

Malmö University strives to be part of society at every level. Whether that is regional, nationally or globally, its focus is making the world a better and fairer place.

We have a mission to be an active hub for research, education and innovation. Our research is often multidisciplinary and pursued in collaboration with partners from outside of the university.

Why choose Malmö University?

Malmö University is...

Collaborative

Offers high-quality education where teachers and students work closely together, and undergraduates are seen as important contributors to the learning process.

Entrepreneurial

Promotes an entrepreneurial and innovative learning environment that influences and is influenced by the education and research at Malmö University.

Multidisciplinary

Boasts multidisciplinary programmes whereby students learn from different faculties, crucially important in an increasingly complex job market.

Diverse

Truly international classrooms where around a third of students have an international background – invaluable for students who are looking for a global career.

Big, but not too big!

The ninth largest higher educational institution in Sweden, with 24,000 students.

Global

Students have the opportunity to study abroad. We have agreements with approximately 250 universities around the world.

Convenient

Copenhagen international airport Kastrup (Denmark) is only 20 minutes away by train, and Copenhagen city 30 minutes away. Network links from here can take you by train throughout Europe and by plane, anywhere in the world!